SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake (West #2) started the Western Conference Championship series on the right foot on Sunday night, beating the Portland Timbers (West #1) 4-2 at Rio Tinto Stadium to take a two-goal advantage into the series’ decisive second leg.

The Claret-and-Cobalt will now have two weeks off before playing the second leg at Portland on Sunday, Nov. 24. The winner of the RSL-Portland Western Conference Championship will advance to MLS Cup 2013, which will be played on Saturday, Dec. 7 against the winner of the Houston Dynamo-Sporting Kansas City Eastern Conference Championship series.

Portland took the early advantage in Sunday’s match, getting a free kick goal from former RSL MF Will Johnson in the 14th minute to go up 1-0. RSL hit back with a vengeance, getting goals from DF Chris Schuler, FW Robbie Findley and FW Devon Sandoval in the 35th, 41st and 48th minutes to take a 3-1 lead. Real Salt Lake MF Javier Morales made it 4-1 to the Claret-and-Cobalt in the 82nd before Portland FW Frederic Piquionnne pulled one back for the Timbers deep into second half stoppage time to make it 4-2.